Mink question

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

sesswhat wrote: »

All other issues aside, trapping the odd animal here and there is not going to have any significant effect on mink numbers though you might eventually harvest enough for that fur coat. If you remove one, and free up a stretch of territory, it will soon be occupied by another mink.

Even if you used hundreds of traps and removed large numbers over a wide area, populations could recover quite quickly afterwards, so you would have to maintain the trapping indefinitely to control the local population.

Eradicating mink from Ireland completely would be a massive project and it's simply never going to happen.

You may be interested in reading about the time, money and effort being spent by the Scottish National Heritage on the Hebridean Mink Project.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with your short-sighted approach to wildlife conservation. In Scotland £1.6Million was good value for a 5 year project eradicating Mink on 4 Islands. (That project team also carried out valuable surveys and research concerning ground nesting birds during the life of the project).
The NPWS has been very successful in making significant inroads into Mink number in many areas around Ireland. Your "Hundreds of traps" are being used and each is responsible for the removal of many mink every year. With continuous trapping we get to a point where another mink does not move into the territory. This takes a lot less time than you might imagine. Mink numbers in Ireland have decreased substancially over the past 10 years so something we're doing is working despite your pessimism.

It wasn't me!

And individuals not connected with NPWS do their part as well. I'm going to attempt to get permissions for all the waterways around my area and walk them with a shotgun and try and make a dent in their numbers as well.

dogmatix

Pye wrote: »

Magpies - Not an invasive species nor alien. Mink on the other hand are and were introduced by us, the most destructive species on earth.

Maybe calling Magpie's invasive might be a bit strong but I would still class them as Alien. Magpie's did not exist in Ireland until the late 1600's - they where first reported in Dublin in the 19th century.

Maybe it depends on timescales - they've been in Ieland for over 300 years so perhaps it's time to stop calling them aliens/blowin's and grant them honoury irish citizenship?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

dogmatix wrote: »

Maybe calling Magpie's invasive might be a bit strong but I would still class them as Alien. Magpie's did not exist in Ireland until the late 1600's - they where first reported in Dublin in the 19th century.

Maybe it depends on timescales - they've been in Ieland for over 300 years so perhaps it's time to stop calling them aliens/blowin's and grant them honoury irish citizenship?

1650s - Magpies colonised Ireland naturally and are therefore not classed as alien nor introduced. Would you consider Stock Doves as Alien? Same story there. Many more similar examples around the country.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

It wasn't me! wrote: »

And individuals not connected with NPWS do their part as well. I'm going to attempt to get permissions for all the waterways around my area and walk them with a shotgun and try and make a dent in their numbers as well.

I wish you luck trying to make any dent in Mink numbers by walking around with a Shotgun. They can be hard to find at the best of times. To see them in a situatin condisive to shooting them would be unusual. Trapping works as the traps are secreted in Mink areas where the mink move about unseen. Why not get permission to trap the mink?

It wasn't me!

Yeah, I know. Seen a few while fishing though, so reckon I might be able to knock off a few of them. I'll probably set a few traps as well, if I think they won't be triggered or stolen or broken by any fool that happens across them. Was thinking a plan of setting pipe traps in banks, along with leaving baits of oily fish around the bank, and observe with a rifle and lamp, as well as walking at night with shotgun and lamp. Trapping will probably yield the highest number, but every dent made helps I guess.

artieanna

I think its all about balance here...

When animal populations are at a point where culling is in their best interest, it has to be done. where animals are causing great damage to other wildlife it has to be done.

I commend stevoman and any other hunters who have respect for wildlife and kill only what they will use.

I know instances where beautiful animals/birds (phesants,rabbits even fish) are hunted in large numbers and then dumped all for sport...

This is very wrong!

Will ye leave the poor oul magpies alone! They are not the worst.

It wasn't me!

artieanna wrote: »

I think its all about balance here...

No truer words spoken.

I commend stevoman and any other hunters who have respect for wildlife and kill only what they will use.

Personally, I have no enormous enthusiasm for killing vermin. It's a good thing to do, and there's sport in it, but it's not my sport. I prefer the notion of killing only something I'm going to eat, but there's a duty to the environment to give back to it for what it gives someone who chooses to live off it as much as possible, and that means maintenance.

I know instances where beautiful animals/birds (phesants,rabbits even fish) are hunted in large numbers and then dumped all for sport...

This is very wrong!

Yes, very wrong. Shameful, and hard to understand, as all are delicious and nutricious. It's just wasteful.